Who We Were Born To Be (Niam) [ON HOLD]

Chapter 4: The Living and the Dead

Chapter 4

Harry's point of view

Harry closed his eyes as Beth Clarke teleported them all.

This is a bad idea. A really, really, bad idea!

Finally Harry sighed and opened his eyes.

The boys, Beth, and Dr Blakefield stood in a car park. It was mostly empty now. After a few moments staring at the empty asphalt, Harry forced himself to turn and face the building.

The scene was much as he remembered it. It had haunted his daydreams and his nightmares.

“Guantanamo Bay detention camp” proclaimed the sign above the shattered doors. The doors still hung askew. The car's still here too! Harry realised. The car they had stolen was still parked where Louis had left it, directly in front of the broken doors.

Dr Blakefield began talking as she led them into the ruined facility. Harry followed along with the other boys, but he wasn't really listening. His mind was going a million miles a minute with thoughts and with memory. This is where we walked in. That was where the people ran. Harry noticed that the desk he had moved to barricade the people in the side-room was now gone.

Harry blinked in surprise as a person who he would have sworn hadn't been there a moment before, stepped forward. The man looked to be of Asian origin, but spoke with a strong American accent. “Hi, I'm Jack Khan,” he said, walking forward and shaking each of them by the hand. “My power's invisibility,” he added with a smile as he took in their surprise at his sudden appearance. “Alistair sent me to meet you. I'll take you to him, the corridors are a bit of a maze you know.” Yeah. We know. We really, really, really, know, Harry thought bitterly. Niall chuckled darkly.

As they walked through the corridors Harry's eyes automatically focused on the indications of what had happened here the week before. There's a bit of blood on the floor over there... A hole blown in that wall... Scorch marks on the ceiling there.

As they walked past one side room that seemed to have been gutted by fire, Louis gave a very satisfied sounding grunt. Harry turned to see a smirk on his friend's face. Well at least someone's happy, Harry thought.

Harry himself was less than pleased to be here. But Dr Blakefield had insisted. Apparently revisiting the scene will help us 'contextualize and schematize' our experiences or something. Dr Blakefield had told them how recent research had found that soldiers recovered faster from traumatic battle experiences when they deliberately revisited and confronted their experiences.

Their guide, Jack, led them to a less-destroyed part of the facility where there were offices that were entirely intact. A couple of dozen people were working in them. Half had uniforms on, and Harry sensed the other half had powers. So, James' people, and the US military I guess? Harry could remember when he'd known all the US military uniforms and what ranks they signified, but that knowledge was gone now.

Alistair Wilson waved them over to his desk as they entered. Alistair greeted them formally, shaking hands with Harry and the other boys. When it came to Niall's turn, the boy stepped forward and embraced Alistair in a tight Horan hug. Alistair looked slightly shocked. Niall had a tendency to automatically treat James' friends as if they were his own friends. “Thanks Jack, I'll take it from here,” Alistair told Jack. Jack nodded and gave the boys a goodbye wave before walking over to join two people who were working at something on a shared desk.

Alistair led them out of the room and through the corridors.

Louis' point of view